Stone House Westport, MA

Stone HouseWestport, MA

In a region of saltwater farms, Capt. Howland built a granite villa in 1830 on a gentle slope between Drift Rd. and the tidal Westport River. The villa occupies the line between the fertile floodplain and thinner, sand-plain soils, creating two distinct types of vegetation: riparian wood & dry grassland. The provincial Renaissance villas of Andrea Palladio surrounded by agricultural land & woodlots were used in precedent studies to define the relationship between architectural form & varied working landscapes.

The driveway entrance was moved to create a longer, oblique approach to the house through the meadow. A grass terrace supported by distinct 2:1 slopes, organizes activities related to the barn, parking and the house. On the river-side, an existing granite terrace was carefully documented and rebuilt as a garden connection to the new boathouse. A line of bald cypress trees planted along the canalized river will grow to create an overhanging shade. These early interventions are part of a longer process to create a landscape context for Howland's Folly.